A Chat with Dimitris Loizos (07.05.24)
With his emotionally charged melodies, singer-songwriter Dimitris Loizos connects with listeners on an intricate, intimate and intoxicating level. Hailing from Greece but residing in the UK, London-based Loizos, his music tips its hat to vintage blues-rock with contemporary edginess. We speak with the talented musician about his new single ‘Make Up Your Mind’, if money is happiness, what music means to him and much more.
OSR: What drew you to music? Why did you choose to become a musician?
Loizos: I still remember the first time I realized that music holds a special place in my life. It was summer, and my friend Sotiris came to my house with a DVD of a Led Zeppelin concert. I didn’t even know who Led Zeppelin were, but he started playing it. The moment I saw Jimmy Page playing his Les Paul, I knew that I wanted to do exactly the same thing. This led me on a path to learn how to play the guitar and use it as a tool to express myself.
OSR: You recently released your single ‘Make Up Your Mind’. What can you tell us about it? Is there a theme or backstory?
Loizos: ‘Make Up Your Mind’ is part of my upcoming EP, Back To The Blues. The backstory of ‘Make Up Your Mind’ shares the same meaning as my music in general: it’s a way for me to express what I feel. I wrote this song a few months ago, and it was basically me journaling.
OSR: What do you hope people will take from ‘Make Up Your Mind’?
Loizos: I feel like this song can be interpreted in a few different ways, and I like to leave it to the imagination of the listener to interpret it themselves. Maybe they are going through a similar experience as mine, or they have someone special with whom they can connect this song.
OSR: If you could change one thing about ‘Make Up Your Mind’, what would it be and why?
Loizos: I wouldn’t change anything. While I don’t believe that the perfect song exists, the capture of the emotion in that song is unique and changing anything would alter the whole meaning of the song.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Loizos: Music for me is the expression of the soul. The music we choose to listen to is unique to us and represents who we really are. One day you might listen to funk and dance, and the next day you might listen to Bon Iver and cry your eyes out.
OSR: You were born in Greece and moved to London in 2019. Do you think your Greek heritage influences your music at all?
Loizos: I love Greece, but traditional music there is very different from the style of music I play. However, as we discussed before, music for me is the expression of the soul, and I think that the medium through which we express it doesn’t matter as much as the underlying feeling or message behind it. My favourite Greek music is the kind that you can feel deeply, almost like a knot in your chest that wants to be released.
OSR: If you had to create a supergroup with any artists, living or dead, who would you choose?
Loizos: That’s a great question! I would choose B.B. King for vocals, David Gilmour on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass, John Bonham on drums, and Richard Wright on keyboard. That would be great to watch.
OSR: Do you believe that money can make you happy?
Loizos: Money can make you comfortable, but not happy. It’s interesting how we use money as a measure of success. Like anything, money is a tool. Good people with money will do good things; bad people with money will do bad things. If I were rich, having money would mean that I could create more music, spend more time with other musicians, and collaborate more. Also, being a musician, as you probably know, doesn’t necessarily pay the bills, so it would be nice to not worry about that! But money can’t buy happiness. Happiness is a state of mind and a place in your heart.
OSR: What can we expect from you in the future?
Loizos: That’s a lovely question! On the 14th of June, I’m going to be releasing my EP Back to the Blues! I’ve been working on this EP for quite some time and I’m so excited to share it with the world. Also, in the background, I’ve been writing songs almost every day and am working on my debut album, which will (hopefully) be released at some point in 2025. I can’t wait to tell you more about it, but maybe in a future interview!
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Loizos: First of all, I want to say thank you for having me and to your readers, a massive thank you for reading this interview! One thing I would share that helps me and keeps me going is that I’m on a path of discovering myself – deeply and truly. Music is such a great tool for this and to explore who we are. So don’t just listen to music when you’re going through things or cleaning the house, but actively listening to music for what it is. Sometimes we forget to do that, but I promise you, it’s so rewarding. Thank you, Dimitris.
Many thanks to Dimitris Loizos for speaking with us! For more from Dimitris Loizos, check out his Instagram and Spotify.
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